Like Ripping Off A BandAid
by chiasypee
Summary: Kim breaks it off with Shego since she isn't in her Life Plan. Don't worry, they get back together afterwards.
1. Like Ripping Off A BandAid

It had taken Kim a week and a half to completely sever all ties with Shego. First, she stopped agreeing to meet up outside of work. Then, she stopped accepting any of her calls. It was like ripping off a band-aid; painful, but it had to be done. Or the wound would _fester_. Right now she was just… loosening the adhesive, so to speak.

By the following Thursday, before she slipped into slumber, Kim heard rapid rapping on her window. Geez, doesn't she know when to quit? Kim kept her eyes closed and her breathing even, as if hoping Shego might just… go away. Just go away and leave her alone. Doing this was painful enough as it was without having to actually meet her. But Shego, being Shego, kept up the tapping. Kim squeezed her eyes shut for a minute or two, each individual knock causing increasingly violent shudders. Like ripping off a band-aid, she repeated in her head. Like ripping off a band-aid, like ripping off a band-aid, like ripping off a…

Ah... Blessed silence. Kim heaved a sigh of relief. She must've lef—

"I know you're awake, Kimmie. Care to tell me why you've been ignoring me?" Well, damn, how'd she manage to get inside her room?

Kim opened her eyes to look at her girlfriend (_ex_-girlfriend, she corrected herself) and furrowed her brow. She sat up in her bed with a forced languidness and leant against the headboard, putting on the look of disdain she had seen often enough on Shego's own face. Shego's disdain. Shego's languidness. "I…" Kim took a deep breath, steeling herself. "I can't see you anymore, Shego." Shego tilted her head in bewilderment. She grew defensive. "Why the hell not? What's wrong, pumpkin?" Concern softened her voice, her actions. She stepped closer to the bed, moving as if she were going to slip under the covers herself. Kim knew what Shego would do next, knew who she would cuddle into submission. Knew who would yield, and forget the plan, and…

She panicked.

"You don't fit into my Life Plan," she let out in a rush, a little louder than she meant to. A spasm of hurt rippled through Shego's face. "Your… Life Plan?" Kim avoided Shego's searching gaze. She tried to disregard how rapid and shallow Shego's breathing had become, how she had stiffened and frozen in the act of slithering into her bed. She tried to disregard how she had taken a step back, how she was still backing away, like an animal caught in the headlights.

She tried to disregard how… how _guilty_ she was. How _wrong_ this felt.

Like ripping off a band-aid, like ripping off a band-aid, like ripping off a band-aid…

Shego cleared her throat softly. "Life Plan?" she repeated. "I don't… I don't fit into your—"

"You heard me," Kim stated grimly, finally meeting Shego's eyes. She just had to tug that corner a little bit more… "You're a _girl_, Shego. And I… I have needs. Needs that you can't fill. I want children. I want a life I can show my parents. I want a man."

Shego clenched her fists tightly, angrily. _Finally_, the hurt was morphing into rage. _Good_.

"Well then," she paused, her voice too choked up to continue. She swallowed— hard— and began again. "Well then, I hope you're happy with your buffoon." With that parting riposte, Shego turned and strode purposefully, heatedly, towards her balcony. Just a little… bit… more…

Shego hopped off the ledge. The band-aid was gone. Now the scab could heal.

So why did the wound feel that much worse without it?

* * *

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just... had to do this. Call it ripping off a band-aid of my own.


	2. Miserable

Hokay the tweaking of Tug is complete! I hope it all makes a smidge more sense now. Tell me if you still find anything that doesn't make sense!

* * *

Kim spent the next two weeks in a deep funk that was noticeable to all but the densest of jocks. Which is why Brick Flagg's younger brother, Tug, newest addition to the Middleton High varsity football team, and Kim's new boyfriend, was following her around.

"C'mon babe, let's go watch me beat up some losers," was Tug's standard after-school chorus, and while Kim had gained a lot of patience from dealing with her babysitting duties and Bonnie, it just was not enough to tackle Tug Flagg.

While Tug was relatively the nicest jock in school, the 'nicest jock in school' still equated to 'meaner than your average student'. Tug left the other seniors alone ("respect," he had said. "They've made it this far without shooting apart the school."), but preyed constantly on the sophomore misfits and freshmen, with an occasional junior to shake things up a bit. The worst thing was that Tug often trailed her home and spent 'quality time' with her, which translated to her attempting homework while he attempted to get inside her pants.

Tug spent quite a few hours every couple of days patching up bruises at the Middleton Hospital as a result.

Ron was more than a little distant these days. He took Kim's newest boyfriend as proof of what he had been paranoid about when they were still together (even though at the time of the break up they had mutually agreed they really had no romantic chemistry); he had concluded that Kim had finally '_traded_ _up'_, and was hurt enough to consider avoiding her.

The villains that usually plagued her constantly had taken a break from the plotting (Christmas is a time for generosity, and so on), which meant she could not even corner Ron and force him to talk things out with her during a mission, and he was surprisingly adept at evading her in the musty halls of school ("Almost as stealthy as a ninja," she had thought, before banishing the notion from her skull). The loss of Ron by her side was probably what soured her temper the most. You wouldn't think an Ex could be such a calming influence, but there it was. It had only been two weeks, but already even Bonnie had noticed Kim acting more like…well, _Bonnie_.

She sighed in very obvious exasperation, crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Not today, Tug." Why oh _why_ couldn't she have hooked one of those strong, silent types? Or someone with more in common with her than their social status. Someone smarter than your average jock, with looks and a sense of humour to spare. Someone with a… a _bangin'_ body. Someone like…

Shego.

Ron calmed her down, but Shego… Shego _excited_ her.

Kim hurriedly quelled that thought while Tug the Ever-Oblivious tried his luck again.

"How 'bout some nerds then?"

"No."

"Freaks?"

"No."

"Gee—"

"NO, Tug! Do you _not_ understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?! Get a clue!"

This was when Kim realised more than half of the student population admiring the Christmas decorations with them on the school grounds had turned to watch her little outburst. Including Bonnie. "Way to copy me, clone." She flashed Kim a dazzling smile, and strutted off with an extra triumphant sway to her hips. Kim spotted Ron about fifteen feet away, making a face at her in sympathy, before melting back into the hordes of students.

Kim took several deep, calming breaths, before turning back to Tug. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Tug. I'm just— I'm under a lot of pressure right now."

Tug encircled her waist with a strong arm. "Hey, don't sweat it, babe. I feel your pain. Coach always pushes me on edge right before a game, just so I'm pumped enough to win. Sometimes I think I might blow a gasket!" He smiled sweetly, and Kim almost felt better.

Then he reached slyly for her butt.

Tug would swear later in his usual ward at the Middleton Hospital, to his usual audience of young giggly trainee nurses, that lightning had struck him down, right in his bruised face.

As Kim stomped off in a temper, she could not really remember _why_ breaking up with Shego and putting her 'experimenting' days behind her had seemed like such a good idea. Life without Shego was too mundane, too frustrating, too _painful_. It was too bad she could not just apologise and take everything back; Shego was probably living it up with some hot babes and dudes in the Bahamas by now, having a ball of a time.

She had never been more wrong in her life.

Shego's sighs echoed mournfully around the walls of the icy mountain lair, and Drakken, thought habitually able to ignore whatever little disturbances Shego made, could not take it anymore. The lair, decked out in Christmas-themed streamers and garlands, was actually starting to reflect Shego's depression, for crying out loud! Even the Christmas songs blaring around the lair through the tinny, cheap, plastic speakers were beginning to seem… pointless. They just reminded him how… _empty_ the lair was. How… devoid of life. All his henchmen had left for their respective homes to spend time with their loved ones, and only Shego and he were left to carry out his heinous scheme.

"Alright, Shego, what's bothering you?" Drakken glared at her with his tiny hands resting petulantly on his hips.

Shego glanced at him for a brief moment, before her eyes began their steady trajectory back to the floor. "Nothing, Dr. D. I'm just feeling a little out-of-sorts, is all." She let loose another sigh.

"Ngyeuhh... look, Shego, I know I don't normally do this, but you're becoming a very annoying distraction, a hindrance to the completing of my master plan. Would you like Christmas off? You know… to spend with your brothers? Or any other loved ones?"

Shego got up abruptly. Her neutral expression had fast given way to another expression Drakken was _very_ familiar with; anger. "Listen up, Drakken, and listen good," she growled in a low voice. She took a step towards him, lighting up her balled fists. "I." Step. "Don't." Another step. "Love." Yet another step. Shego was now an inch away from Drakken's cowering frame. "ANYONE!" Her last word was a bellow directed right into his face, while her flaming fists were twitching, as if eager to inflict upon him a familiar world of hurt. By the time Drakken gathered enough courage to open his eyes and uncurl from his foetal position off the floor, she was gone.


	3. Too Late

Shego was sitting at the very edge of a jagged precipice. _Literally_. She sat with her legs over the edge, leaning back into her straightened arms. Her head was thrown back as if she were gazing at the beautiful, twinkling night sky. A stranger would have thought she was the very epitome of careless calm, of languorous relaxation.

Kim was no stranger, though.

"Shego?" Shego whipped her head around, her body tensing up. Ah, the _girl_ was here. Time to go. She carefully picked herself up from the edge of the cliff, dusting off her knees and hands once she was standing. Her back was still towards Kim, and she struggled a moment to beat her raging emotions under control. To consciously give off her usual aura of uncaring. Geez, was it always this hard?

"Shego?" Kim implored again. She still had not gone into her usual defensive fighting stance. Instead, Kim had her hands clasped together, her body language screaming tight and tense and shaky. Not a bearing one would expect from a girl who could do anything. _Thought_ she could do anything.

"Why are you here?" Shego sounded tired, and wary. She was tired of dealing with Possible. She was tired of running from her, and she was wary of what she had to say. Shego didn't want to go back—no, she _couldn't_ go back. It was just... it was just too _painful_. Too… risky.

"Look. While I've been chasing you across the globe, I've had a lot of time to think." Kim paused, trying to find the right words. "I… I haven't been fair to you, Shego. Or to myself."

Shego turned slowly to face her. "It's too late, Kim. You had your shot, and you blew it. And I can't… go through this again."

The stricken look on Kim's face almost broke Shego's heart. Or, well, what was left of it, anyway. Once upon a time, Shego would have done anything for that wobbling lip, those watery eyes, that trembling frame. But that was a long time ago. That was when she had _cared_.

"Please stop looking for me. I won't be bothering the world anymore."

Shego stood there motionless for a moment, before turning to leave. There was nothing more to say.

It was better like this, anyway. Life without Kim meant _freedom_. Life without Kim didn't _hurt_.

Before she could take a step, however, a cold hand grasped her arm.

"Kindly let go of my arm, or I will _make_ you do so," said Shego, enunciating clearly. She glanced back at Kim with the threat showing unmistakably in her green eyes.

"_Please_, Shego." Tears were threatening to spill over Kim's cheeks. "Won't you give me another chance? I—"

Kim managed just in time to dodge that first glowing punch. She immediately let go of Shego and vaulted backward a couple of paces. Shego took the chance to start walking away, but Kim zipped in front of her, blocking her way.

"Get out of my way, Possible."

"Not until you listen to me," Kim stated grimly, determination once again shining in her face.

And so it was, for another half an hour. Kim would stop Shego from leaving, and the villainess would attack Kim, using the time Kim spent dodging her blows to try and run again. But always, Kim would manage to block her way. Some time during their strange, one-sided battle, it started raining. Hard. The rain beat down on their backs and slid in sheets off the cliff. It made their footing very treacherous, and more than once, either girl would almost slip.

And then Kim finally made a mistake. A mistake which cost her her balance. She tumbled backwards off the cliff with a shriek, but managed, just in time, to hook a hand on a particularly rocky outcropping.

"Shego! Help me!" Kim swayed this way and that in the wind, like washing on a line. Of all the times to leave her grappling blow dryer behind!

Shego had already started sauntering away, but Kim's fearful cry stopped her dead in her tracks. This was her chance. With Kim Possible dead, she wouldn't have to leave villainy behind! She wouldn't have to deal with Kim, or how persistent Kim was, or how annoying Kim was, or…

Or how _sorry_ Kim was. Or how _good_ Kim still made her feel. Or how _much_ Kim still meant to her.

This was her chance, and she wasn't going to blow it.

Kim cried out for Shego again, her tears freely running down her cheeks in fear. This was not how she had seen herself go. This was not how she was _supposed_ to go. Well, might as well accept it, now. It was clear Shego wasn't coming back. With everything I've done, I'm surprised she isn't stomping on my fingers. Kim's grip was loosening now, her fingers growing too numb to hold on.

For the first time in her life, Kim was truly alone.

And suddenly, a gloved hand grasped hers tightly. Kim looked up hopefully to find Shego staring down at her. "Don't let go, princess," Shego hissed between grit teeth. With her other hand, Shego melted a handhold into the rock, and gradually, achingly, she pulled Kim back to safety.

Once Kim was back on firm ground, Shego collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard. Her muscles felt like they were on fire. Shego lay there with her eyes closed in the pouring rain for the longest time, before she felt a soft hand on her abdomen and the tickle of hair up her nose. She kept her eyes shut as she felt Kim's lips graze her ear gently.

"I love you, and I'm sorry."

And on Shego's face lit up a genuine smile.


End file.
